A Change Is Coming
by bklue18
Summary: The year is 2025 and the rich has taken over the country. After being oppressed for so long, a revolution is waiting to break out. But at what cost?
1. Life As It Is

It's the year 2025. The rich has taken over the country, leaving the poor and average to fend for themselves. Criminal organizations flourish as they buy their way out of everything. Rules were made to favor the rich while those who couldn't afford suffered the difference. The rich decided to create names for the different class of citizens to signify the difference in status.

The rich were called the makers.  
The average were called the middles.  
The poor were called the miserables.

No one had a say in anything unless you were a maker. But, the rich always stood by each other as they could buy each others' trust with money. Nothing was just anymore and it didn't matter. Because money was the only thing that mattered.

* * *

She woke up and looked around the room to see if anything had changed but everything was as it is. She had merely dreamt of a world she once knew as she was still in the small apartment that she shared with her older brother. She sighed and got out of bed, walking over to the small kitchen in their shoebox apartment.

Not so long ago, life wasn't as it was. She lived in a lovely home with a nice backyard with her mother, father and older brother. Her mother was a stay-at-home mom and grew vegetables as a hobby. Her father owned a little furniture shop just down the street and used the little wooden shed in the backyard as his work shop. Her brother owned an auto shop and when he wasn't watching his business, he loved going to the local gym to work out. She had been a college sophomore working towards a degree in film studies with honors.

Life was good, if not great but things took a change when the rich took over. Her parents were killed in a tussle between some men in the furniture shop and they were shot in the head, execution style.

She drove the sad memory of her parents out of her head as she looked over at her brother who was still sleeping soundly on the sofa. Silently thanking God that her brother was still with her, she turned back to look at her kitchen cabinet. Ever since her brother's auto shop got shut down, they were not able to make ends meet and she had no choice but to drop out of college.

She was just about to take out the cheap box of cereal from the cabinet when she heard footsteps behind her. She turned around to see her brother standing behind her.

"Hey lil' sis. Good morning." He said  
"Morning." She replied

He looked at the box of cereal in her hand, "I thought you said it didn't taste nice?"

"It doesn't. But we can't choose, right?" She said

He merely gave her a sad smile and messed her hair before leaving her to pour out the cereal into their bowls. Just as she poured the cereal into her brother's bowl, they heard a knock on their door.

"You pour the cereal. I'll go get the door." She said

Randy merely smiled and took the box from his sister as she walked over to the door. She opened the door and smiled at the friendly face looking at her.

"Hi John."  
"Why hello, Jasmine. Is Randy awake yet?"

Jasmine nodded and stepped aside to let him in before he closed the door behind him.

"Hey Randy." John said  
"Hey, what's up?" Randy asked  
"The same thing. I brought you guys some food though." John said

He put a brown paper bag on the kitchen table and looked at Jasmine, "I got you something Italian."

Jasmine smiled happily, "Pasta?"

He nodded and Jasmine gave him a side hug, "Thanks John."

With that, she took her bowl of cereal and headed to her bed to eat. She drew the curtains that marked off the bedroom and the kitchen before sitting on her bed to eat. It had been a routine every morning. Ever since her brother's auto shop closed, John would come over and both he and her brother would get into a deep hushed conversation about something that they did not want her to hear. Even though she wanted to know what it was, she couldn't bring herself to eavesdrop.

After finishing her breakfast, Jasmine changed and picked up her satchel to get ready to head down to the soup kitchen run by a church. Since her drop out from college, Jasmine had been spending her time helping out at the soup kitchen.

As soon as Jasmine pulled open the curtains, Randy and John both stopped despite their seemingly heated conversation.

"Hey sis. Going to the soup kitchen?" Randy asked  
"Yup." Jasmine replied, putting the bowl in the sink.  
"Be careful out there." John said  
"I know. Watch the streets, right?" Jasmine said  
"Yeah. And stay at the soup kitchen after your shift. I'll come pick you up." Randy said  
"Yes, sir." Jasmine said

Randy stood up, "I mean it."

"I know." Jasmine said

Randy kissed the top of his sister's head, "Stay safe."

She smiled and hugged her brother before saying good-bye to both him and John as she left the apartment.

* * *

Jasmine arrived at the soup kitchen and smiled seeing the familiar faces that sat at the tables. She made her way to behind the counter and put her satchel underneath the cashier where the other volunteers' belongings were.

"Morning, Jas!"

She turned and smiled at her best friend, Celeste, who had Jasmine's apron.

"Morning. Thanks Celeste." Jasmine said, taking the apron from her.  
"You okay?" Celeste asked  
"Yeah… Why?" Jasmine said

Celeste shrugged, "You just don't look so good. Had trouble sleeping?"

"You could say that…" Jasmine said  
"Don't stress yourself out. I don't want you getting sick." Celeste said  
"I know… I can't afford to get sick either. None of us are able to afford medical care, remember?" Jasmine said

Celeste pat Jasmine on the shoulder before the two of them made their way to the area where they gave out bread.

Just like her, Celeste was a college student that dropped out due to the high college fees. The two of them had met in college and became best friends quick. It was a miracle that Celeste never sought to make more money for herself. With her looks and figure, she could have easily made it in to join the league of girls at 'The Getaway'. The makers called it a decent company that paid well but everyone knows that it's an escort agency.

Jasmine was giving a half a baguette to a little girl when she heard someone shouting. She passed the baguette to the girl before looking out at the entrance of the soup kitchen.

A little boy was standing opposite a well-dressed man with bleached blonde hair and he was shouting at him.

Jasmine looked at Celeste, "You take over for me for a while. I'll go see what's wrong."

Before Celeste could stop Jasmine, she had already taken off her apron and put it by the side table. She walked out and stood in front of the little boy.

"Sir, please stop shouting at him." Jasmine said

He looked at her and said, "This is none of your business. I suggest you shut up and walk away."

She folded her arms, "I'm not going to do that."

The guy stood straight up, amused at her defiance.

"Do you know who I am?" He asked  
"No. But I know you belong with the makers." Jasmine replied  
"That's right. So, why would you be so stupid to stand up for this boy?" He asked  
"Because he's only 6 and can't speak." Jasmine replied

He cocked an eyebrow and smirked. This girl may not be one of those drop dead gorgeous ones that he knew but there was just something about her that intrigued him.

"Look. I don't know who you are or why you're even here. But, whatever this little boy did to you wasn't on purpose." Jasmine said

He straightened his suit jacket, "Fine. I'll not pursue this matter anymore but know this. You just crossed paths with a Nemeth and I am going to remember you."

Before Jasmine could say anything, he smirked at her and got into the limo that was parked by the kerb. A few seconds after he got in, the car zoomed off. Jasmine let out a sigh of relief before turning around to face the little boy.

"Are you okay?" Jasmine asked

The little boy nodded.

"Did that guy hurt you?" Jasmine asked

He shook his head but looked at the ground. She looked and sitting on the ground was half a baguette.

She gave him a warm smile and said, "Don't worry. I'll get you a new one, okay?"

He nodded and smiled as she held his hand and brought him back into the soup kitchen to get a new piece of baguette.

* * *

Jasmine had just returned to her area when a volunteer by the name of Bryan came up to her. He had worked as a volunteer a little longer than Jasmine and Celeste but unlike them, he worked at a supermarket as a cashier.

"Hey Bryan. What's up?" Jasmine asked  
"Can I talk to you for a sec, Jas?" Bryan said

She looked at Celeste who said, "Go. I'm good here."

Jasmine nodded and gratefully squeezed Celeste's arm as she followed Bryan to the back of the kitchen.

"So… What did you want to talk about?" Jasmine asked  
"I saw what you did earlier for little Austin. That was pretty brave of you." Bryan replied  
"Well, someone's gotta do something, right?" Jasmine said  
"Yeah… Listen… I've got something on later this evening at 6pm and I was wondering if you would accompany me." Bryan said  
"Like a date?" Jasmine asked  
"No, no… Not like that. Just say 'yes' and you'll find out." Bryan replied  
"I don't know, Bryan… My brother's coming to pick me up later." Jasmine said  
"Just tell him you gotta work extra." Bryan said

Knowing that Jasmine might be worried about his intentions, he decided to clear things up.

"Don't worry. I don't mean any harm or anything. You've known me for a while now… If I wanted to do you harm, I would have done it in the first two weeks that I met you. But, that doesn't mean I'm a creep or anything!" Bryan explained

Jasmine laughed, "I think I got what you're trying to say, Bryan. Okay, I'll call my brother."

Bryan smiled, "Awesome. You won't regret this."


	2. Rise Of A Revolution

After her original shift, she followed Bryan to an abandoned warehouse, getting even more unsure of her decision to accompany him.

"Bryan… Where are we going?" Jasmine asked, looking around.

He merely got a slightly excited look on his face just as he knocked 5 times on the doors to the building. She heard a click coming from the other side of the door just as Bryan pushed it open. They both stepped in and as they walked further into the building, the sound of people cheering got louder and louder.

Bryan pushed open another set of doors and the sound of people cheering got to its maximum. They joined the huge crowd gathered around a stage with the bright lights shining on one person. She looked around the decor of the area and banners were hung around the place with the words, 'Live the revolution'.

She was about to turn to Bryan and excuse herself from this when the person spoke.

"My friends, welcome to the revolution!"

The crowd cheered louder.

"Do you know why I am the leader? Because I know the pain and suffering we all have gone through with those rich bastards who think money solves everything."

Jasmine looked around and felt a little scared by the crowd.

"It's time to put those people back where they belong… It's time to show them who's better than them and their stupid money."

The cheers got even louder.

"So join me!"

"Live the revolution!"

With that said, the speaker raised his fist in to the air and the crowd cheered even louder than Jasmine could imagine. She looked over at Bryan who was cheering loudly next to her. Even though his words were inspiring, this wasn't a good place to be.

Ever since the makers became their own government, rallies like this were number one on their hit list. If anybody got caught staging a revolution, their living situation was only going to get worse. And, she couldn't afford to lose her older brother. She made her exit quickly but just as she made her exit, she felt someone hold onto her wrist.

She turned around to see Bryan looking at her.

"Where are you going?" He asked  
"I… I can't do this, Bryan…" Jasmine replied  
"What are you talking about?" Bryan said  
"This. You know that staging rallies is the number one crime! I can't afford to lose my brother." Jasmine said  
"Relax, Jas. We're in a totally safe neighborhood. We will never get caught." Bryan said  
"That's what you think." Jasmine said

Bryan shook his head, "No… I do know we will never get caught."

Jasmine looked at him, getting slightly confused.

"Let me introduce you to someone." Bryan said

He let Jasmine's hand go as he led the way to the second floor of the building. Like before, he knocked 5 times on the door before it opened. The two of them stepped in and was greeted by a very familiar-looking lady.

"Bryan… You're home." She said  
"Yeah." He said

He put his arm around her waist before introducing Jasmine to her.

"Babe, this is Jasmine. The girl I told you about." Bryan said, "And, Jasmine… This is..."  
"Brianna… One half of the Garcia-Colace twins." Jasmine said

She shook her head, "They said you went missing… But, you're here."

Brianna gave Jasmine a small smile, "Yeah… My sister helped me with that."

"I don't understand… You're a maker." Jasmine said  
"And I hated that life. Every time I see my father make business calls to get richer, I felt sick. He only cared about making himself wealthier while everyone else could use the money he had." Brianna said  
"So, your sister staged your disappearance?" Jasmine asked

Brianna nodded, "Yeah, I was dating Bryan on the sly and my sister found out. I told her I didn't want to go back to that kind of life. So, she helped me to disappear. Along with that, she helped keep my location secret. So, this whole warehouse doesn't exist."

"Wait… So, you're a part of the revolution?" Jasmine asked  
"Yup. And I'm proud of it." Brianna said

She sighed, "It took a lot of convincing but Phil eventually accepted it."

"Phil's the leader?" Jasmine said  
"Yeah. The one we saw." Bryan said  
"So, are you going to join the revolution?" Brianna asked

Jasmine looked at her and shook her head, "I'm sorry… But, I can't. I've already lost my parents and I don't think I can afford losing my brother if we get caught."

She walked towards the front door and turned to them, "Thank you both for sharing your story… But, I don't think I'm ready to risk it all."

Before either of them could say anything, Jasmine left. When she walked down the stairs, she looked up to see the guy who was speaking earlier, walk up the stairs. They both looked at each other for a while before Jasmine looked away.

She hurried out the abandoned warehouse and made her way back to the soup kitchen, before her brother arrived.

* * *

Jasmine walked into the soup kitchen and saw several people still inside despite the after dinner timing. She spotted Celeste cleaning one of the tables and walked towards her.

"Jas? What are you doing back here?" Celeste asked, "I thought you went on a date with Bryan."

"No… He and I were not on a date. We were…."

Jasmine was about to say where they had went but she realized that she couldn't just say it out without explaining to Celeste.

Celeste looked at her expectantly, "You were?"

Jasmine sighed, "It's a long story… I'll tell you tomorrow, okay?"

"But I'm not on duty tomorrow…" Celeste said  
"So am I. That's why you're coming over to my house." Jasmine said

Celeste tried searching for a hint from Jasmine's expression but since she was her best friend, Celeste knew that there must be more to the story.

"Alright. I'll be there early." Celeste said

Just as she said that, Randy walked into the soup kitchen.

"Hey, lil' sis." Randy said  
"Hey, bro." Jasmine said

As soon as Randy was next to her, Jasmine hugged him tight with the fear of losing him clouding her mind. Although startled, Randy merely reciprocated the hug before slowly breaking up the hug.

He looked at Jasmine, "What's wrong? What was that for?"

She shook her head, "Nothing… Just wanted to give you a hug… That's all."

Randy looked at her suspiciously, "O-kay… Shall we go then?"

Jasmine nodded and looked back at Celeste, "Need us to walk you home?"

She shook her head, "Nah… I'm good. Big Paul's gonna send me home. I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?"

Jasmine nodded and gave her best friend a quick squeeze before following her brother out the soup kitchen.


	3. Help Comes Unexpectedly

"It's a what?!"

Jasmine looked at Celeste, "SSSH! Keep your volume down!"

Celeste sat back down on the sofa and looked at Jasmine before looking away, unsure of what to say at the moment.

She looked back at Jasmine, "Is Bryan crazy? He knows what will happen if the makers catches them."

"He knows… But, he has too much to lose to not be in it." Jasmine said  
"What do you mean?" Celeste asked  
"His girlfriend used to be a maker…" Jasmine replied  
"Are you serious? Please do not tell me it's that pretty one on TV that they presume is missing or dead." Celeste said

Jasmine was about to reply but hearing Celeste say that, she closed her mouth.

Celeste stood up, "Are you kidding me?! Jasmine, you have to forget all that you saw. What was he thinking bringing you to see that?!"

"He just thought I'd be interested. Don't blame him… I'm sure you wanted to go against the makers too…" Jasmine said  
"I have but I do that in my heart. I don't blatantly do it for everyone to see!" Celeste said  
"Relax, Celeste. I already told them that I am not interested. So, I won't be going back there anytime soon." Jasmine said  
"Good." Celeste said

She sat back down, next to Jasmine, "Your brother would go crazy if he knew where you went last night."

"Please don't tell Randy. You know how bad tempered he is. I don't want him going over there to beat someone up." Jasmine said  
"I know. Your secret's safe with me." Celeste said

Jasmine smiled and gave her friend a quick hug before turning to the magazines that John had brought over for them.

* * *

Two days passed and Jasmine's life went back to normal. Sure, she still sees Bryan around in the soup kitchen but he respects her decision and the two of them talked like she hadn't gone for the rally.

"Jas, you wanna go to the supermarket?" Big Paul asked

She turned around from the counter and said, "Are you offering me a trip there?"

Big Paul smiled, "Yes. And, while you're there, you could get yourself a little treat."

Jasmine smiled as she took the money and shopping list from Big Paul's hand.

"Just all that's here?" Jasmine asked  
"Yup. And your own little treat." Big Paul replied  
"You spoil me, Big Paul." Jasmine said  
"What can I say? Told you that smiley face of yours gets to me." Big Paul said

Jasmine laughed as she took off her apron to hang up by the side.

"Oh, but hurry back. I don't want you to get harassed by any of the makers." Big Paul said

Jasmine nodded, "I'll be in and out of there in a jiffy."

Big Paul nodded and Jasmine hurriedly made her way out of the soup kitchen towards the supermarket that was 3 blocks away.

Despite everyone in the neighborhood not having enough money to even visit the supermarket, the makers left that supermarket untouched so that their own people could look at how the miserables were doing. Sometimes, it acts as a place to recruit girls for The Getaway.

Jasmine entered the supermarket and immediately felt eyes on her. She gripped the handle of her satchel tightly as she made her way over to the fruits and vegetables section. Seeing a familiar face in front of her made her let out a sigh of relief.

"Hey, Jas." He said softly as he transferred the fresh apples into the box.

Jasmine gave him a small smile, "Hi Colby."

Colby was a senior at Jasmine's college and he was like Bryan. A middle. His parents owned a dry-cleaning shop and since that wasn't going to bring in enough money, Colby decided to work at the supermarket to help with the family's finance. When food poses to be a problem, he would always visit the soup kitchen. And, that's where the two of them met.

"Don't let them make you nervous. They are always doing this to intimidate us." Colby said  
"I know…" Jasmine said

She put the corn she picked out into the basket she took by the door earlier. Colby looked around before slipping an apple into her satchel.

"On the house." Colby said, with a wink.  
"Thanks Colby." Jasmine said

He smiled and went back to work as Jasmine continued on her errand. Once she paid for the things, she picked up the paper bags and gave Colby a smile before leaving the supermarket. As she walked down the path towards the soup kitchen, she felt a little uneasy. But seeing that she would reach the place soon, she shook it off.

After crossing the road, 2 men stopped her from walking further. Seeing their built and height, Jasmine knew that they were definitely miserables that became makers.

"Whatcha doin' with so many bags from the supermarket?"  
"It's pretty obvious, Jon. She went shopping."

Jasmine swallowed her fear as she said, "I have to get these back."

"Oh, do you now?" Said the blonde one known as Jon

As Jasmine made a move to walk the other way, the tall, Samoan looking guy blocked her path.

"We didn't say you could go." He said

He looked at her and smiled, "You know… Although you aren't as pretty as some of the girls from The Getaway, I would still do you. You'd be a whole new breath of fresh air."

He leaned down to take a whiff of her hair just as she stepped back, disgusted by what he just said. She thought of bolting down the street, back to the supermarket but the blonde one stood behind her, stopping her from doing so.

"And I wouldn't mind joining in." He said

Freaked out and determined to get away unharmed, Jasmine stepped on the feet of the one in front of her and shoved him as hard as she can so that he was out of her way. Tightening her grip on the bags, she ran for it.

"That fucking bitch!" He said, holding his hurting foot, "Go get her!"

The blonde one nodded and ran after her. With his long legs, it didn't take much for him to be right behind her as she continued running. Jasmine looked back and saw him just inches away from her.

"You're not getting away, little missy! We're going to rough you up so bad, you're going to wish you had just kept still!" He shouted

Not seeing where she was running, Jasmine collided into a person, making her groceries fly out from their bags and onto the pavement.

Worried as she knew he was closing in on her, Jasmine tried to run but the person held onto her.

"Where have you been? I thought I told you to wait at the supermarket for me."

Recognizing the voice, Jasmine looked up to see the guy who spoke at the rally. He looked at her with warm eyes and she stood up with his aid.

"I thought I'd head back first…" Jasmine said, playing along.  
"Well, that's silly. Look at the groceries now." He said

He looked at the blonde guy who had been chasing her and said, "Is there a problem here? Why were you chasing my girlfriend?"

Seeing the tattoos running along both of his hands, the blonde one stepped back a little, not wanting any problems.

"No… I was chasing the wrong girl." The blonde said

Without another look, he bolted down the street back to his partner. Jasmine looked at the guy who saved her and let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you." Jasmine said  
"Don't mention it." He said

She gave him a small smile before bending down to pick up the groceries that were on the ground. He too joined in and began picking up the vegetables before putting them back in the bag. Once they were done, he picked up the paper bag and handed it to Jasmine.

"Thanks again." Jasmine said

He smiled, "Don't mention it. You're Jasmine, right?"

"You know my name?" Jasmine said  
"Yup. Bryan told me about you." He said

He put his hand out, "I'm Phil."

"Yeah… I know." Jasmine said, "Nice to meet you."

"I'll walk you back to the soup kitchen." Phil said

Jasmine was about to object but he stopped her and said, "They might come back."

Knowing that Phil might be right, Jasmine nodded and he took the paper bag from her as they both made their way back to the soup kitchen.

When they arrived, Jasmine took the paper bag back from Phil.

She looked at him, "Thanks for saving me today… But… This doesn't mean I'll join your revolution."

Phil smiled and said, "I didn't expect you to."

"Don't get me wrong… What you're doing is good but…" Jasmine said, "You know what will happen if the makers catch you."

"I understand your concerns but we've been building this up for a year. If we were at risk of getting caught, I would have stopped the entire operation." Phil said

She stepped into the soup kitchen and said, "Just be careful. You're a good guy, Phil. But, in this world, not all good guys get good endings."

"But the good guys could try, right?" Phil said

Jasmine gave him a small smile, "Yeah… They could."


	4. A Date She Can't Refuse

The next day, Jasmine was cleaning up the house before her outing with Celeste. She just about tidied the living room area where Randy slept when the front door opened. Jasmine looked up and smiled when she saw her brother walk into the apartment with John.

"Hey guys!" Jasmine greeted

"Hi Jas!"  
"Hey, lil' sis."

John put the bags of groceries down while Randy walked up to her.

"I thought you were going out with Celeste today…" Randy said

"I am… But, we're meeting at 12. It's only 10.45am." Jasmine said, "Speaking of which… You guys went out early just to go get groceries?"

"Yup. I know a friend who opened early for the both of us." John said  
"Thanks, John." Jasmine said  
"Don't mention it. Randy's my buddy and you're like my little sister. It's helping out family." John said

Jasmine smiled as she walked over to put away the groceries. John joined Randy on the couch and the two of them started talking casually. As Jasmine pulled the last item out of the bag, she found a piece of paper that had been placed right at the bottom of the bag. She put away the spaghetti sauce and took out the paper.

As she was about to open the piece of paper, someone took it out from her hands. She looked at who it was and the person was her brother.

"What is that?" Jasmine asked  
"It's uh… Nothing… Just a scrap of paper." Randy replied  
"That you would be worried about if I read it?" Jasmine said  
"Yes." Randy said

Seeing Randy's serious look, Jasmine knew not to pry any further. She merely nodded and put away the grocery bag as Randy walked back to the living room area.

* * *

Jasmine arrived at the soup kitchen at 12 to see Celeste waiting for her.

"Hey!" Celeste greeted  
"Hey…" Jasmine said

Celeste looked at Jasmine, "What's wrong? You look like you just encountered math all over again."

"It's Randy." Jasmine said  
"What about him?" Celeste asked  
"I keep thinking that he's hiding something from me." Jasmine replied  
"And you came to that conclusion because…" Celeste said

Jasmine sighed, "He weirded out when I found this scrap of paper at the bottom of the grocery bag that he and John brought back."

"Really? Over a scrap of paper?" Celeste asked

Jasmine nodded, "I was about to open in when he took it from me."

"Maybe it's a love note or something?" Celeste said  
"Could it be?" Jasmine asked  
"Well… Think about it. If you're Randy, would you want your little sister to see the love note some girl gave you?" Celeste said

Jasmine thought about it and decided to give Randy the benefit of the doubt. Celeste did have a point. Back when Jasmine was in high school, she wrote love notes too and she didn't want anyone but the receiver to read it.

"Okay, enough worrying about what your brother is hiding. It's time for some window shopping!" Celeste said  
"Do you think we should go to the mall?" Jasmine asked  
"It's okay. Just because we don't have the money to spend, it doesn't mean we can't see what they offer right?" Celeste said  
"Yeah… But, they are mostly filled with the makers and the middles." Jasmine said  
"Then, let's pretend we're one of them." Celeste said

Jasmine looked at Celeste, who gave her a mischievous smile and nudged her arm. She smiled back and Celeste happily linked arms with her as they headed to the mall.

* * *

"Let's go in here." Celeste said

Jasmine looked at the store that Celeste stepped into and it was one of the big department stores in the mall. She followed after Celeste as they both walked through the lady's clothing area.

As they turned a corner, Celeste accidentally bumped into another lady's elbow with her elbow as they walked pass. Celeste said sorry before walking on but was held back by the lady.

"Do you think just saying 'sorry' can get you off the hook?" She said  
"Look. It was an accident. I didn't do it to you on purpose." Celeste said  
"Oh, really?" The lady's friend said

The lady looked at Celeste, "I am not one to make a scene but you should apologise properly."

"I already did." Celeste said  
"Yes but not properly." The lady said  
"What do you mean by 'properly'?" Jasmine asked

Before the lady could reply, Celeste grabbed Jasmine by the arm and pulled her away. Annoyed by their behaviour, the lady wasn't going to let it go.

"Mia. Do me a favor. Go see if those two girls are makers." She said

Mia nodded and followed behind the two girls. While they were both at the perfume section, just as Jasmine's back was facing a display of perfume bottles, Mia pushed pass her, making her knock into the display. As a result, one bottle went over the edge and it went crashing to the floor as Mia left the scene.

Jasmine turned around to see the bottle on the floor while Celeste spotted Mia fleeing the scene. Before she could call out the girl, a shop assistant came towards them.

"Miss, you'll have to pay for that." She said

Celeste was about to object when Jasmine shook her head at her before turning to the shop assistant.

"Of course. Sorry for my carelessness. How much is it?" Jasmine asked  
"$100. That's an exquisite bottle you knocked over." She replied

Jasmine's eyes widened a little as she heard the price of the perfume that she had knocked over.

"O-One hundred?" Jasmine repeated  
"Yes. Do you have a problem with that?" The shop assistant asked

By now, a few shoppers were gathered around, watching Jasmine, Celeste and the shop assistant.

Jasmine shook her head as she slowly reached into her satchel to get out her wallet, even though she didn't have the amount. She was about to open her wallet when someone stepped in.

"There the two of you are! I told you guys to be careful."

Jasmine and Celeste both looked up to see Colby coming to their aid.

"Here's $100. Sorry… But, she's a little clumsy sometimes." Colby said to the shop assistant.

He handed the money to her and she headed behind the counter to issue a receipt. She handed it back to Colby as the small crowd dispersed.

"You okay?" Colby whispered to Jasmine.

Jasmine nodded.

"We should leave…" Colby said

They nodded as they left the department store together.

* * *

The 3 of them headed over to the food court in the shopping mall. Colby bought them all a slice of pizza before sitting at the extreme corner of the food court where there were nobody around.

"Thanks for saving us back there." Jasmine said  
"It's nothing. Besides, you were not the one who knocked the bottle over." Colby said  
"He's right. It was that dumb skank's bitch of a friend who did it." Celeste said  
"Sssh, Celeste. Not so loud." Jasmine said

Celeste shrugged and took a bite out of her pizza.

"Anyway… What were you doing there?" Jasmine asked

"I was looking for a gift." Colby said, "It's my mom's birthday this weekend."

"Did you manage to get her anything?" Jasmine asked  
"Nope." Colby replied  
"Is it because of us?" Jasmine said

Colby chuckled, "No… It's just that my mom has no use for those material things. So, I couldn't find anything suitable for her."

Celeste sipped her soda before saying, "It's better if you don't get anything from there. It's overpriced."

"More for the makers to earn, right?" Colby said

Celeste grinned and nodded at his comment.

Jasmine shook her head, "You guys aren't scared of getting heard, huh?"

Celeste chuckled and nudged Jasmine, "There's Colby around. They won't come near us."

Jasmine merely shook her head at her friend as she resumed eating.

* * *

As it got later, the three of them decided to leave the mall and go home. Since Colby was with them, he offered to walk the two of them home. They sent Celeste home first before heading towards Jasmine's home.

"Thanks for offering to walk us home." Jasmine said  
"It's no problem at all. I couldn't possibly let you two girls go back alone." Colby said

Jasmine chuckled to herself, "No wonder all the girls had a crush on you."

Colby looked at her, "Were you one of them?"

"Well… Yes." Jasmine said  
"Huh. I would have never thought you had a crush on me." Colby said  
"Are you kidding me? You seriously never noticed my consistent presence at all your hockey games?" Jasmine asked  
"I just thought you were very interested in hockey." Colby said  
"Really? Why?" Jasmine asked  
"Well… I tried asking you out on dates before but it seemed like you didn't take notice." Colby said

Jasmine stopped walking, "Wait, you mean those times that you asked me to help you with your assignments?"

Colby smiled shyly, "Yeah. My poor attempts."

Jasmine laughed and shook her head, "And my poor ability to read signals."

The two of them laughed for a while before Jasmine realized she was at her door.

"So… Uh… This is me." Jasmine said, pointing at her door.  
"Right…" Colby said

Just as Jasmine took out her keys, Colby spoke again.

"So… Forgive me if this is another poor attempt… But, would you like to go catch a movie at the community theatre tomorrow night? They'll be screening Psycho." Colby said

Jasmine thought for a while before giving Colby a smile, "I'd love to. But… My shift at the soup kitchen ends at 7.30pm."

"That won't be a problem. The movie starts at 8.30pm anyway." Colby said  
"Well, okay then." Jasmine said

Colby smiled, "It's a date."

Jasmine nodded shyly and entered her apartment after saying good-bye to Colby.


	5. The Date That Didn't Happen

"What time is it?" Jasmine asked

Celeste put down her serving spoon and looked at Jasmine, "It's not 7 yet. I'll let you know when it's time."

"I know… I know… It's just… I'm afraid I'll be late." Jasmine said  
"Really?" Celeste said

She turned to Jasmine, "You're worried that it's not going to go well."

Jasmine gave her an unsure look and Celeste nudged her.

"Relax. It's going to go great. You've been crushing on Colby since forever and you're finally going on a date with him. Nothing bad's gonna happen." Celeste said  
"Are you sure?" Jasmine said  
"Positive." Celeste said

Jasmine nodded and smiled at her friend as she gave her a quick hug before resuming their duties.

* * *

"Where do you want the vegetables at, Big Show?" Jasmine asked, holding the basket.

Big Show chuckled before taking the basket from her, "I'll take that."

He put the basket down by the side, "Aren't you supposed to go off for your date? You're off duty already, aren't you?"

"That's okay.. I can still help you with this before I go." Jasmine said  
"No way am I letting you be late for your date." Big Show said  
"Celeste warned you, huh?" Jasmine said

Big Show laughed, "Yeah. She threatened to stop making her delicious stew."

Jasmine chuckled, "That's Celeste alright…"

"Yup. So, please don't let her do that." Big Show said  
"I won't." Jasmine said

She washed her hands before taking off her apron. She kissed Big Show on the cheek before walking out to the serving area where Celeste was.

"He's a gentleman." Celeste said as she scooped up some vegetables.  
"What are you talking about?" Jasmine asked

Just as Jasmine joined her, Celeste put the spoon back into the pot and pointed at Colby who was sitting at one of the empty tables. He looked up at and smiled when he saw Jasmine.

She smiled back before turning to Celeste, "What's he doing here?"

"He's being a total gentleman." Celeste said, "Which is what he should be."

She looked at Jasmine, "What are you still standing here for?"

"I don't know… Maybe this date isn't a good idea…" Jasmine said  
"Stop that. You're going on this date and you're going to have a blast." Celeste said

She hooked her arm with Jasmine's and dragged her out to the tables.

"Now, go and have fun and tell me everything tomorrow." Celeste said

Jasmine hesitated a little and only started walking when she felt a slight shove from Celeste. She looked back and got an encouraging smile from her best friend before turning back to walk to Colby.

He stood up as she approached and said, "Hi."

"Hey…" Jasmine said, "I thought we were going to meet at the theatre."

"I let you think that so that I could surprise you." Colby said, "I was worried I couldn't catch you in time."

Jasmine smiled before saying, "You're lucky then."

He smiled and put out his arm for her to hold, "So, shall we go?"

* * *

The two of them arrived at the theatre and Jasmine waited at the corner while Colby went to get the tickets. As she waited, she kept shifting her weight from her left foot to her right foot. She wasn't sure why she kept doing it but a part of her knew that it was nervousness mixed with a slight feeling that the date wasn't going to go well.

It wasn't even two minutes when Colby came back to her, with his cellphone in one hand instead of tickets.

"They're sold out?" Jasmine asked  
"Uh… No… I just got an emergency text from my mom and I need to go…" Colby replied

Jasmine felt her heart sink with the realisation that she was right but she brushed it aside.

"I'm sorry… I was really looking forward to our date tonight…" Colby said

Jasmine gave him a small smile, "Don't worry… It's no big deal. You should go back."

"I can walk you home first." Colby said

"It's okay… I can head home by myself." Jasmine said, "Besides, I really want to watch the movie."

Colby looked at her worriedly, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Don't worry, Colby. You should go." Jasmine said

Colby looked at her and gave her a small smile, "Alright. I'll come by to see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Sure." Jasmine said

Colby leaned in and kissed her on the cheek before walking away. As soon as Colby was slightly far off, Jasmine sighed audibly. She knew something like this would happen and she just wished that for once, her gut feeling could fail her but no, they were always right.

She looked at the ticket counter and considered her options. She had seen the movie more than once already and she thought it would have been fun to watch it with someone else other than her brother. Sighing, Jasmine decided to head back home instead.

* * *

It was well after 8pm as Jasmine walked the route back home. The streets after 7pm were always pretty empty and it was not strange for it to be so as she walked the pavements alone. It wasn't a rule to stay off the streets but it became a part of life for most people.

Just as she had two more blocks to walk to, she felt a shove as someone pushed her into an alley. The force of the shove was so hard that she hit the brick wall and felt the impact vibrate through her shoulder.

"Well, well, well… Look who we have here walking the streets at night."

Jasmine looked up to see the faces of the towering figures that were standing in front of her.

"You think we'd let you go so easily, huh?"

In a second, she remembered who they were. They were the two creeps that were chasing her after her visit to the supermarket a few days ago.

"What's wrong, huh? Can't remember who we are?" The blond asked

Jasmine stood upright and with all the confidence she could muster, she tried not to sound scared.

"I know who you two creeps are." Jasmine replied

"Oh! Look, Jon. She is gutsy." The Samoan-looking one said, "But it's expected since there's no one around to save you, huh?"

The blond guy, known as Jon, smiled creepily at her.

"This is going to be so much fun. I love teaching lessons to girls like you." Jon said

Jasmine felt her heart stop. She wasn't going to be able to fight her way out of this but she had to try.

"No you're not." Jasmine said

With as much strength she could gather from within her, she gave the two guys a big shove and ran out of the alley; colliding with someone who was at the entrance. She struggled wildly as the guy wrapped his arms around her.

"Stop. I'm not one of them."

Upon hearing the voice, she immediately recognized it and stopped struggling.

Phil wrapped his arms around her and looked up just as the two guys arrived at the entrance.

"Were you two harassing my girlfriend?" Phil said

Jon looked at his partner who said, "Uh… No… We just thought she was a girl who escaped from The Getaway."

"Yeah. We have no problems with her. Sorry, miss." Jon said, looking at Jasmine.

Phil looked at them, "So, what are you waiting for then?"

The two of them didn't need to be told twice. Looking at Jasmine and Phil one more time, they both hurried away towards their car parked not to far. Once they got into the car and drove away, Phil let Jasmine go.

"Are you okay?" Phil asked  
"Yeah… Thanks… Again." Jasmine replied

She looked at him, "Do you have a habit of saving people?"

Phil smiled a little and said, "No… It seems like it's only you I have to save."

Jasmine stood up straight, "Well, thank you. Those two guys just seem to keep finding me."

"That's because you're in their element." Phil said, "They hunt night and day for girls who are alone."

"Right." Jasmine said, realizing that she kinda made herself a target.

Just as she tried to move her right hand, the pain that ran through her arm made her drop her hand almost immediately.

"Crap!" Jasmine cussed, feeling the sharp pain.

Phil looked at her, "I think you may have dislocated your arm."

"What?" Jasmine said, looking at him in disbelief.

He lightly touched her arm and slowly brought it up before putting it back down when Jasmine winced.

"Did you hit anything just now?" Phil asked  
"I-I don't know… I think so? They shoved me really hard and I hit the wall…" Jasmine replied  
"Then you definitely dislocated your arm." Phil said

Jasmine sighed, "Great."

"Come on. I can help you with that." Phil said  
"Uh, no… It's okay. It will heal on it's own." Jasmine said  
"No, it won't. It will only get worse if left untreated." Phil said

He looked at Jasmine's hesitant expression and said, "This is no strings attached. I can't possibly leave you with a dislocated arm."

Jasmine felt the sincerity of Phil's words and nodded. Phil smiled and escorted her towards the abandoned warehouse building to get her arm fixed.


	6. A Worthy Cause

Phil brought Jasmine back to the warehouse to get her shoulder treated.

The two of them entered the building and headed to the second floor of the building where Phil unlocked the door with a key code. The door clicked open as soon as the key pad lit up in green.

"After you." Phil said

Jasmine stepped in and Phil followed after her, closing the door behind him.

Bryan and Brianna were cuddling on the couch when they heard the front door close. They both stopped and sat up straight to see who came in.

"Oh, good." Phil said, "You're both in."

"Jasmine?" Bryan said  
"Hey Bryan." Jasmine said  
"What happened?" Brianna asked

"Her right shoulder's dislocated." Phil said, "I'm going to need you to help her pop it back in."

Jasmine looked at Phil with a surprised expression.

"Uh.. I'm not going to pop it back in!" Jasmine exclaimed  
"Would you rather lose the use of your right hand?" Phil asked

Brianna lightly touched her left arm, "Don't worry. I'll make it quick."

Knowing that she didn't have much of a choice, she nodded and Brianna led her towards a room by the corner.

* * *

The two girls entered the room and immediately, Jasmine knew that it was their medical supplies room, which could easily pass off as a doctor's office too.

"Wow." Jasmine said

Brianna chuckled, "Yeah… Phil's pretty good to everyone who joins his cause. He set this up to make sure that anyone who has injuries or needs medical help can have a place to get it settled."

"Where does he get these things?" Jasmine asked

Brianna shrugged, "I don't know either. But, I guess Phil has his ways."

Jasmine nodded as she sat down on the bed while Brianna stood opposite her.

"So, what happened?" Brianna asked, cutting Jasmine's right sleeve away.

Jasmine sighed, "Well, I got cornered by two guys on my way home."

"You were alone?" Brianna said, assessing the damage.

Jasmine nodded, "They were either following me from afar or I was just plain unlucky. It isn't the first time I've encountered them, anyway…"

"You mean you've encountered them before?" Brianna asked, sitting down on a chair opposite her.  
"Yeah…" Jasmine replied

Realizing that Brianna was now sitting opposite her, giving her full attention, Jasmine looked at her right shoulder.

Brianna laughed a little, "Told you I'll make it quick."

"You mean-Wait, it's back in?" Jasmine asked  
"Yeah. i did it when you were distracted. Try moving your hand now. But, do it slowly." Brianna said

Jasmine nodded and slowly moved her right arm. Although it still felt sore, there wasn't a sharp pain anymore.

"You're a miracle worker." Jasmine said

Brianna chuckled, "It's all in the skill. Besides, I learnt it from Cody."

"Cody?" Jasmine said  
"He's the doctor here. Unfortunately, he's been called to the hospital so he's not here now." Brianna said  
"Oh… I see." Jasmine said  
"Yup. Anyway, you were saying that you got cornered before?" Brianna said

Jasmine nodded, "Yup. And Phil saved me both times."

"Phil's not really the kind who would cross paths with the hounds of the makers." Brianna said, "But you must mean something to him for him to do that."

"What do you mean?" Jasmine asked

Realizing she might have said too much, Brianna hurriedly stood up.

"Uh, I should go get you another shirt to wear." Brianna said

Before Jasmine could ask Brianna again about what she meant, Brianna had left her in the room alone.

* * *

"So it's the second time you saved her from the two men?" Bryan asked, laying finishing touches to the sandwich for Jasmine.

Phil nodded, "Two of the men from The Shield."

"As in the makers' watchdogs?" Bryan said  
"Lackeys to be exact." Phil said  
"Isn't it dangerous?" Bryan said

Phil shook his head, "It'll be fine."

"Well, whatever it is… Jasmine was really lucky to have your help." Bryan said

Phil merely gave a small smile as he pinched a piece of ham from the container.

"I wonder if it'll change her mind.." Bryan said

Phil knew what Bryan was referring to but he didn't work that way. Everyone who joined his cause was there because they sincerely wanted to be a part of the revolution. He didn't want anyone to feel that it is an obligation.

"I don't want to pressure her into joining us because I saved her." Phil said, "That's not what the revolution is about."

"I know." Bryan said, "I was just wondering."

"Well, don't." Phil said

Bryan put his hands up to let Phil know he wasn't going to continue the conversation before picking up the plate. He handed the plate to Phil and signalled for him to deliver it to Jasmine.

* * *

Phil stopped at the open door of the room and looked in to see Brianna and Jasmine engaged in a conversation. He knocked the door once, so as to announce his arrival politely.

The two girls stopped talking and Phil asked, "May I come in?"

"Yup." Jasmine said

Phil passed the plate to Jasmine, "Bryan made this for you."

Jasmine smiled and took the plate, "Thanks."

Phil looked at Brianna, "How's her shoulder?"

"I popped it back in." Brianna said, "But she'll have to be careful with that arm."

She looked at Jasmine, "Don't overexert for the next few weeks."

Jasmine nodded as she bit into her sandwich. Brianna looked at Phil and sensing that he wanted to talk to Jasmine alone, she quickly excused herself.

"So, I was thinking that you should stay the night." Phil said, "We have spare rooms so you are free to stay the night."

Jasmine smiled gratefully at Phil, "That would be nice."

"Great. I'll go set it up." Phil said

Jasmine nodded and said, "Um… But could I make a call first? I need my best friend to cover for me."

"Sure. I'll get the phone." Phil said

Phil went out for a minute or two and returned with a phone in his hand. He passed it to Jasmine before walking out and closing the door behind him to give her some privacy.

Jasmine dialled Celeste's home phone number and waited through a couple of rings until it got picked up.

"Hello?"  
"Celeste?"  
"Who's this? Wait… Jasmine?"  
"Yeah. It's me."  
"You're home? How did the date go?"  
"I'm actually not at home… And there wasn't a date…"  
"What? What do you mean? I thought you everything was going well!"  
"It's a long story."  
"So where are you now?"  
"I'm at the warehouse."  
"The one that you went to and saw that revolution thingy?!"  
"Yeah."  
"WHAT?!"  
"Look. I can explain. But I need you to cover for me tonight. Call Randy and tell him that I'm staying with you. Please."  
"*sighs* Okay. I'll help you cover. But I'm coming over tomorrow morning to pick you up and I expect the explanation."  
"I promise I'll explain everything. Thank you so much, Celeste."

Jasmine and Celeste said good-bye to each other before hanging up.

After her conversation, she returned the phone to Phil. He put it back on the kitchen counter before showing Jasmine to the guest room.

"So, you can take a shower over there." Phil said, pointing to the toilet in the room.

He pointed at the cupboard, "There are some clothes inside which you can change into."

Jasmine nodded and Phil said, "If you need anything else, just knock on my door. I'm down the hall. Last room."

She nodded again and Phil decided to leave her to get some rest. Just as Phil was leaving, Jasmine spoke out.

"Uh, Phil?" Jasmine said

He stood at the door and turned to her, "Yeah?"

"Thank you…" Jasmine said

Phil smiled, "No problem. Get some rest."

Jasmine gave him a small smile before he closed the door behind him. A few minutes after Phil left, she thought about Phil and his cause. She figured that perhaps it wasn't such a bad idea joining the revolution. His cause made sense and Phil wasn't some deranged maniac who wants to rule the world. He just wanted a change.

With that thought, she headed into the bathroom to take a shower before her much needed rest.


	7. A New Perception

The next day, Celeste arrives at the abandoned warehouse as per Jasmine's directions from the previous night. She had been careful not to let anyone see her as she made her way over. She went up to the second level as soon as the guard on the first floor let her in.

Brianna smiled as she opened the door to Celeste.

"Hi!" Brianna greeted, "You must be Celeste."

She looked at the brunette in front of her and kept reminding herself not to ask her any stupid questions regarding her identity. Jasmine had already told her about who she was but seeing her in person made Celeste a little starstruck.

"You-You're… You're Brianna." Celeste said

Brianna smiled, "Yes, I am."

"You-You're really here." Celeste said

Brianna chuckled a little, "Yes, I am really here."

She tugged one of Celeste's arms lightly, "And you better come on in."

Still holding onto her arm, Brianna led Celeste into the house before closing the door behind her.

"Who's-Oh! Celeste!"

She looked up and saw Bryan standing over the stove in the kitchen. He waved at her with a spatula in his hand and she hesitantly waved back.

"Bryan's preparing breakfast." Brianna said, "Would you like some?"

Celeste wanted to politely decline but her stomach rumbled and Brianna smiled.

"I'll take that as a yes." Brianna said  
"Thanks." Celeste said  
"Don't mention it." Brianna said

Just as Brianna made her way to the kitchen to help Bryan out, Phil came out from his study. Seeing Celeste now standing in his living room, he walked over to her.

"You must be Jasmine's friend." Phil said

Celeste looked at him, "And you must be Phil."

"Yes." Phil said, "If you're looking for Jasmine, she's still in her room."

He pointed at the door down the corridor and Celeste mumbled a 'thanks' before heading towards that direction.

* * *

"You are one crazy and lucky girl." Celeste said

Jasmine merely shrugged as her best friend got comfortable on her bed after entering her room.

"I know." Jasmine said  
"Your brother is going to kill you when he sees that." Celeste said, pointing at the sling that was acting as a support for her shoulder.

Jasmine looked at Celeste, "How did he respond to your call?"

"He was okay about it…" Celeste replied, "Didn't hear any tone that is a cause for worry."

Jasmine nodded, relieved that at least her brother wasn't suspicious.

"So, you're gonna tell me how you injured your shoulder?" Celeste said  
"Well… I got kinda roughed up by that two guys I told you about." Jasmine said  
"The ones that hustled you on your way back from the supermarket?" Celeste asked

Jasmine nodded, "Lucky me, huh?"

"How in the world did that happen?!" Celeste said, "Weren't you with Colby?"

"About that… Uh.. Colby wasn't with me." Jasmine said

Celeste sat up and looked at Jasmine, "Come again?"

"He got a call from his mom and needed to go…" Jasmine said  
"And you let him go off without seeing you home?" Celeste said

Jasmine smiled sheepishly, "You guessed it…"

"Why?!" Celeste exclaimed  
"It seemed kinda inconvenient…" Jasmine said  
"Did he think it was inconvenient?" Celeste asked

"Well… No." Jasmine said, "He did offer to send me home but I said no and told him I was going to catch the movie…"

"Which you didn't! Because you were about to star in your own horror movie!" Celeste said

She looked at her friend angrily, "You should have just let him send you home, Jas. You were very lucky Phil was around that area or I don't even want to imagine what would have happened!"

"I know…" Jasmine said, "I swear that this will be the last time it happens."

"You better." Celeste said, "Because you may not be so lucky next time."

Jasmine nodded and just then, they heard a knock on the door before it opened. Brianna popped her head in.

"Hey girls… Sorry for interrupting! But, breakfast's ready." Brianna said

Jasmine smiled, "It's no problem. We'll be right there."

* * *

After breakfast, it was time for the girls to leave so as to not get Randy suspicious. They just about walked out the door when Jasmine stopped.

"Uh… Celeste… Give me a minute, 'kay?" Jasmine said

Celeste shrugged, "Okay, I'll wait out here."

Jasmine smiled and squeezed Celeste's wrist lightly as a 'thank you' before heading back in.

Seeing her come back in, Brianna instantly knew what Jasmine wanted to do.

"He's in the study." Brianna said

Jasmine smiled, "Thanks, Brianna."

Brianna smiled back as Jasmine walked pass her towards the study.

When she arrived at the study, she found the door open. Not wanting to seem rude, she lightly knocked on the door first, to get Phil's attention.

He was sitting on his chair with his head resting against the top of the chair, with his eyes closed. As soon as she heard the knock, he opened his eyes and stood up.

"Uh… Sorry…" Jasmine said, "I didn't mean to startle you."

Phil looked at her, "It's alright…"

"I thought you were leaving?" Phil asked

"Yup… I was actually on my way out…" Jasmine replied, "But I couldn't leave without thanking you again."

She looked at him, "So, thank you… Again."

Phil chuckled, "You're starting to make me a big-head."

Jasmine laughed a little before saying, "Well, you saved my life twice so I have to thank you at least a million times."

Phil smiled, "It's what a gentleman does, right?"

Jasmine merely smiled and was about to leave when she said, "When's the next rally?"

Phil blinked in surprise before asking, "You've changed your mind?"

"Maybe." Jasmine said

"Well, if you have, the rally is next Wednesday at 7pm." Phil said, "If you're coming, be sure to come with Bryan."

Jasmine nodded and was about to walk off when Phil stopped her.

"I hope to see you there." Phil said

She shrugged, "Well, that depends… If I don't get saved by you again… I'll consider."

Phil chuckled and Jasmine smiled back at him before taking her leave. If she wasn't sure she'd be going at first, she was damn sure now that she was attending the next rally.


End file.
